stickyfeathers

meagan.

this afternoon, i took my cousin, meagan's senior pictures.  she is so beautiful!  it was so fun to hang out with her, and sam (assistant extrodinaire) and do this.  i've never taken pictures for anyone else before, but i'm really happy with the results (and we're not done yet...still have some indoors to do)!  here is one of her big smile and one from the playground.  i don't want to show too many before she gets to see them all.  there are so many good ones (i took over 500 pictures, geesh)!  oh...i'd love to hear feedback on them (i realize i do need a little photoshop help for strays, skin tone, other basic dumb things).  i will be sharing more soon. 

if this is any indication on how cute these are...tucker is blowing kissing to the monitor right now.  :)

science test.

mr. casper (or was it mr. kuznik...anyone remember who taught 8th grade science?) would be proud to know that i haven't let all that knowledge just slip by me in my old age.  wow, how many years has it been since 8th grade science?  lord.  i took this quiz and figured i would bomb it.  i didn't do too bad.  so, go ahead, take it...see how well you do.  :)

odds and ends.

there are a lot of random things i have to get on here, so here we go.

• welcome back mom!  we've missed you and are so excited to see you on saturday!  we just wish you didn't have to leave again so soon!  :(
• last night when i was giving tucker a bath, he tore his diaper off and threw it in the tub.  guess he didn't want to wait for me to take it off.  i think this is the start of something.  something bad.
• it has been raining for a week (or dang close).  where was this crap in july?
• matt is getting carpel tunnel surgery the first week in october.
• a huge congratulations to my mom!  what for?  she has been selected to have one of her photograph's published in photographer's edge.  i don't know all the details yet (she was a bit too excited when she called and didn't give me the full scoop)...but i promise to keep you posted!  how cool.
• someone stuck a whole roll of quarters in my kid tonight.  thankfully he is now asleep. 
• my intention was to get a lot done around the house tonight.  instead, we went and visited corey and jess.  highlight of the visit: tucker gave them both big hugs before we left.  i love when he is lovey.
• tomorrow is friday.  casual friday.  i love friday.
• last week i won, wait, i spilt the win for our football pool @ work.  i didn't want to play this year, but i was somehow automatically selected to participate.  since i'm playing, matt thinks i should watch every game possible as well as espn.  eeerr, no.  only if the team has a hottie, then i'll watch.  :)  wish me luck the rest of the season.
• it is my goal this weekend to dust off my treadmill and start using it.  there is no option on this.  has to be done.  case closed.
• this weekend would also be a good weekend to clean up all of tucker's toys off the deck/yard.  if i don't, i'll put it off until i am shoveling the toys off the deck.  that would not be fun.

there you have it.  got that out of my system.  ufdah. 

tucker update.

i haven't done a 'real' tucker update for a while.  i have no idea where to start!  eeeek! 

let's start with a little story.  last night tucker loaded his diaper up about three times in two hours.  it must have been so gross that i kept saying the word gross...because he picked up on it the third time around.  i was changing him and as he was trying to get his little paws in it (yeah, gross!)...i was telling him no tucker, that's icky, that's gross!  well, the word rolled off his tongue like he had said it a million times.  GROSS!  yeah, gross.  the more i write that word right now, the more it doesn't look right to me.  anyways, it was funny. 

he will be 18 months at the end of september.  time has went by so fast!  he is a pretty good listener.  if you ask him to go get something or to help you, he will.  he must get those good listening skills from his mom (hahaha).  my favorite thing he does to help is when i vaccum.  he pulls his little vaccum out and we go around the whole house together.  he is just so happy he can help me! 

i'm curious to see how much he has grown since his last appointment.  i'm so happy that he has so many words now!  that is the one thing that has really improved.  i always get really worried about all these developmental things, but then all is well.  i was writing down all of his words, but with something new everyday, i've lost track!

next monday tucker is getting his haircut...again!  it grows like a weed!  i'm getting mine chopped some more and adding some color...much needed! 

well, that's all i have for the tucker update.  his 18 month appointment is in two weeks.  i'll keep ya posted.

what's your name?

this was too funny to pass up.  i found it here and here.  gosh, these things have a way of spreading all over blogville.  go ahead and do your own!

1.  rock start name (first pet & current car):  brandi grand prix
2.  gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite cookie):  strawberry monster
3.  'fly girl/guy' name (first initial of first name and first three letters of your last name): j-coo
4.  detective name (favorite color, favorite animal):  black elephant
5.  soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born):  lee two harbors
6.  star wars name (first three letters of your last name, first two letters of your first): coo-je
7.  superhero name ('the' plus second favorite color, favorite drink):  the pink bulldog
8.  nascar name (the first names of your grandfathers):  owen gordon
9.  stripper name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): heavenly dots
10.  witness protection name (mother and father's middle names): lynn lee
11.  tv weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher's last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):  mozetti miami
12.  spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower):  fall hydrenga
13.  cartoon name (favorite fruit, article of clothing you're wearing right now plus 'ie' or 'y'):  banana pantie (what the hell kind of cartoon is this?)
14.  hippy name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree):  bagel red maple
15.  your rockstar tour name ('the plus your favorite hobby/craft, favorite weather element plus 'tour'):  the photography sunshine tour

new reading material.

another blogger was doing this and thought it was a cool idea.  put the 'spotlight' on other blogs i like.  i'm sure all you guys need some more reading material.  oh, and please share some you like as well! 

binkytown 
life through my eye
it coulda' been worse
self made mom

the shopping trip.

warning:  i am still suffering from the worse-head-pounding-dooser so if this doesn't make sense, you'll know why.

this past sunday, jenn, tucker, and i went to duluth.  jenn and i wanted to get some more work clothes, i had some odds and ends to get, and jenn needed to return a few things.  tucker just came along for the ride.  tucker does great in the car, normally he just falls asleep.  which is exactly what he did on this trip, down and back.  nice. 

when we got to duluth, he woke up when we stopped to drop some film off.  from there, we went to target and he was great there, for the most part.  i picked tucker up a pair of pants and three shirts here.  cute stuff.  oh, i also got him a halloween costume.  a chicken.  (this comes into play later in the day.)  when we went to check out, tucker was being a stinker!  he did not want to be in the cart and when i put him down, he would take off.  so, i ended up carrying him out to the car.  this kid is not small anymore.  he actually makes my arm hurt when i hold him for a while.  anyways, i changed him and we were on our way to the mall.

once at the mall, we ate.  it was already past noon.  we stopped at applebees.  it was good but i don't suggest eating before going clothes shopping.  you always feel worse afterwards.  oh well.  we got done and picked up one of the mall strollers.  i would rather use them as they look like a car, have a steering wheel, and can provide more entertainment than a normal ol' stroller.  tucker loves cars!  so, we were in business.  we stopped at old navy and they were having a sale.  i got tucker five shirts, a pair of pj's, a pair of pants, and a pair of shoes that he'll grow into.  they are size 6 and he's wearing about a 5.5 right now.  anyways...we then went and made some returns and ended up in maurices.  jenn made out with seven new outfits, while i walked out of there with two tanks.  wtf?  i usually find so much there.  i even had $10, plus a 20% off coupon and it was spend $50 get a $10 coupon.  tick me off.  why didn't i find much, well, i don't think i could concentrate on finding anything.  the place was packed and tucker was getting antsy.  if i was in once place for longer than two minutes, he was pulling on the clothes within reach.  we did go in the dressing room and i was able to get him out of the stroller for a bit, but then back in it he went while i went to check out.  it was busy and they had one teller on for a while.  tucker was getting sick of sitting there so i ended up holding him in line for a bit.  then we checked out.  $22.  matt would be proud.  while jenn checked out, we went out of the store and tucker refused to go into the stroller.  before we even left the store he had thrown himself onto the floor in a fit.  that was nice.  poor kid was sick of shopping.  i couldn't blame him.  he eventually went back in the stroller and we were ready to jet.  we stopped to pick up jenn's film and then headed home.

we were not even out of duluth yet, and tucker was asleep.  long day.  poor guy.

we got home and unpacked.  matt was out putting up deer stands or whatever so he wasn't home.  well, i decided to have tucker try on his halloween costume to see if i wanted to keep it.  well, it's a no go.  the feet are not open, and i didn't notice that when i got it.  it will not work with him.  the inside is all weird.  so i put his arms in it and put the hood on and took a few shots of him in it anyways.  mainly because i was DYING laughing at him and wanted to remember it.  he wasn't happy about being in the chicken costume, but boy did it make me laugh!  then this kid had to wear his new shoes while he vaccumed.  they were two big, but like his mother, he loves his shoes! 

we got ready for bed, and i put tucker's new pj's on.  so cute!  matt got home and he brought in a pumpkin from nana and papa.  tucker was amazed by it.  i can't wait to take him trick or treating!  now i just have to figure out a different costume for him.  anybody have any good homemade idea's?

enjoy the shots from our sunday.

and some more...

      

oh, and one more thing.

i'm super blogger tonight, two posts (make that three)!  i have to share about our sunday trip to duluth with jenn, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.  i have a POUNDING headache and matt is already in bed.  he hates when i stay up on the computer after he goes to bed.  it's like i have a curfew or something?  what gives?!?  it is my only time of complete peace and quiet!  i'm rambling again!  this screen is killing my eyes/head/brain matter so i better get to bed!

hope everyone had a great weekend!

his bedroom.

tucker's room is a bedroom, a toy/playroom, and a dump!  i need to get it organized.  i think i am going to be taking his crib down and putting his mattress on the floor (eeek, is this okay?) this week.  he's not ready for a big bed, but when this kid wants to get out he could flip himself over the top, and he doesn't sleep well in the crib.  he ends up hitting the sides when he trashes about, waking himself up...this kids sleeping habits are something to be desired, i tell you.  anyways, back to the room.  i find a ton of things i want to do to his room, like have his room look like some of these, put this in there...my mind races with all the fun things we could do.  anyways, the point is, i don't want his room to look like this anymore...

eeeeek!  i'd forgot to take pictures of his closet area or crib/bed area...whoops.  gosh, how do you decide what toys go and what toys stay?  they play with everything!  i'm having toyoverload syndrome right now.  save me!  seriously, i didn't even show you the toys that reside in the living room.  he's got a corner in there too!  lordy!

any suggestions on how to get more organized?  what to pack away?  what irritating noisy ones i should crush with a sledgehammer?  :)

game night.

last night we had game night.  we haven't had one of these forever!  jenn, house, jen, ashley, corey, matt and myself played a little apples to apples, with yours truly taking home crown.

 

we had a bonfire in the backyard and attempted to burn one of our birch stumps we used for decoration at our wedding...four years ago.  that thing was so water-logged it is still sitting in the firepit.  i think it might be there until next year.  we made super nacho's.  super yummy.  jenn was stuffed up and took a little sudafed then drank her wine.  you can see what happens when you mix the two here.  the girls had fun taking some 'timed' shots of ourselves inside.  house had fun hanging out in tucker's cabin (see picture below for proof).  house, if you ever need a place to crash, the door on that place is always open!  we all had a good time.